1956 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, ITA

The Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen represented Canada in Cortina d’Ampezzo thanks in large part to their back-to-back victories in the Allan Cup. However, several players on the team weren’t able to compete because they had been professionals reinstated for amateur play. As a result, the team had to bring on board five players from Junior B, a league below Major Junior. This proved a bad omen for Canada as it prepared to face its greatest and newest rivals from the Soviet Union. Although K-W started well with three wins in the preliminary round, it encountered difficulty even before facing the Soviets. The Dutchies were upset by the United States, 4-1, thanks in large part to the goaltending of Willard Ikola. Then, on the final day of the tournament, Canada faced another hot goaltender in Nikolai Puchkov, who shut out the Canadians in a 2-0 win. Canada won the bronze medal, the country’s worst showing in 36 years of Olympic competition.